Aerating faucet attachment



Oct. 9, 195 J. E. HANNIGAN AERATING FAUCET ATTACHMENT Filed April 30, 1948 FIG. .2.

INVENTOR. JOSEPH E. HAN/VI 64 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 9, 1951 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE 1 My invention relates to aerating attachments for faucets of the type wherein the fluid discharged from the faucet is aerated and ultimately discharged as a foam formed of a large number of minute bubbles. While the term faucet has been and will be used, it is understood that any spout or discharge end of a conduit for fluid may be utilized with the device according to the invention. Likewise, while it is contemplated that the principal use of the device according to the invention will comprise the aeration of water, it is to be understood that the device is not to be so limited except as hereinafter claimed.

With the foregoing in view, it is an object of my invention to provide an improved device for the aeration of fluid.

A further object is to provide an improved aerating attachment for a faucet which includes an atomizing chamber, an air chamber and a mixing chamber all in operative association whereby to aerate the fluid in the mixing chamber and discharge it therefrom in the form of a stream of foam composed of minute bubbles.

Other objects and advantages of the invention reside in the particular structure, the structure of the elements comprising the invention, combination and arrangement of such elements, and will be readily understood by those skilled in the art upon reference to the attached drawing in connection with the following specification,

wherein the invention is shown, described and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a preferred form of the invention apart from a supporting structure of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an elevation of the invention showing the same attached to a faucet and on a slightly reduced scale;

Figure 5 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line 55 of Figure 3, but showing a modified form of the invention;

Figure '6 i a fragmentary vertical sectional view like Figure 3, but showing a further modi- H fication of the invention.

Referring specifically to the drawing, wherein like reference characters have been used throughout the several views to designate like parts, and referring at first to Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, It)

designates generally an open ended upstanding shell or housing for the aerator according to the invention and may comprise a substantially cylindrical side wall II having an upper end closed by a substantially disc-like end wall l2.

Preferably, the end wall L2 is readily detachably connected to the side wall I I, as by being threadedly engaged therewith, as at I3, Figure 3. The end wall I2 is provided with an annular series of air inlet ports I4 formed therethrough, and such ports are spaced by arms I6. Likewise, such ports I4 are screened by any suitable reticulated member or fine screening material, as indicated at I5, to prevent the passage of foreign mate- "rial through the ports. The end wall I2 is provided with an annular boss I! which extends upwardly thereof in inwardly concentric relation to the ports I4. The inner surface of the boss I! is preferably threaded or otherwise formed, as at I8, for a readily detachable connection with the complementary threads on a faucet 2B. The

boss I! inwardly thereof is provided with a radially inwardly-directed annular flange I9 comprising a seat.

Ah atomizer is formed 'from' an upstanding tube 2| having its upper end open and its lower end'closed and is concentrically disposed within the boss I! and includes a radially outwardly- -directed annular flange22 adapted to seat atop .26 which-extends upwardly into the faucet 2t stantially downwardly flaring wall 21 which depends therefrom inwardly of the side wall I I and which is concentrically disposed about the atomizer 2|. The wall 21 includes a lower edge 28 which extends a substantial distance below the floor 25 of the atomizer. The wall 21 likewise cooperates with the side wall II to define an air chamber 29 therebetween. The flange I I and downwardly flarin wa l 271 form an in erted upstanding funnel. Likewise, the lower edge 28 of I the wall 21 cooperates with the substantially inwardly converging lower wall portion 3! of the side wall II to define a circular gap 3!] providing communication between the air chamber or space 28 and a mixing chamber 32. Asis readily apparent from the foregoing, the atomizer 2| and the downwardly flaring wall 21, provide an atomizing chamber 33 which is in open communication with the mixing chamber 32. Likewise, the air chamber 29 is in open communication through the gap 30 with the mixing chamber 32, but is not in direct communication with the atomizing chamber 33.

In the form of invention just described, and with the same operatively attached to a faucet 20, as shown, when the faucet valve is opened, fluid enters the intake port of the atomizer and is at least partially atomized by being discharged therefrom through the atomizing ports 24. Atomization is completed by the impact of the fluid droplets against the inner periphery of the wall 21. Such impact discharges the atomized fluid downwardly toward the wall 3| of the mixing chamber 32. However, as such droplets pass the gap -they are intercepted by the blast of air'discharged from the air chamber 29 and thoroughly aerated within :the mixing chamber. Thereafter, the fluid-is discharged from the mixing chamber through-a substantially cylindrical downspout or outletport 34 disposed axially of the housing [0.

Referring now to Figure 5, there is there disclosed an atomizer 121 which is similar in all :re-

spects to the atomizer 2| aforesaid, except that the atomizing ports 124 are more in-number and instead of discharging from the atomizer in radial upward directions, discharge therefrom in substantially tangential and upward directions.

Thus, a whirling of the'fluid is effected as it is atomized and discharged :from the atomizer 12]. Moreover, such whirling tends to retard the falling of the atomized fluid from the wall 21, whereby it isrmore readily intercepted by theairflolast discharging through the gap 3 Referring now to Figure 6, the aerator there disclosed is similar in all respects to that previously described, except that the housing I 10 in- ;cludes a cylindrical side wall II I, the lower portion of which is radially inwardly .and upwardly directed at the "bottom to provide a substantially annular cup-shaped'floor l3l. Thus, as air from the air chamber 129 is discharged through the gap I30 and mixed with the fluid droplets, the

mixture of fluid droplets and air is discharged upwardly and inwardly by the floor 13! whereby a more thorough aeration of thefluid is achieved. Thereafter, the aerated fluid is .discharged through the outlet port I34, as in the first-described form of the invention.

It is to be understood that in all forms of the invention, the air ports I4 are substantially large and that the air chamber 29 or 129 at the upper end thereof is substantially large terminating at the bottom thereof in the restricted circular gap 30 or 1,313. Obviously, the lowered air pressure preated-by the rush of fluid through the housing [0 sucks air into the air chambers .29 and 129 thrpugh the inlet ports I4. 7

While I have shown and described what is now thought to he the preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that thesame is susceptible of other forms and expressions. Consequently, I do not limit myself to the precise structures shown and described hereinabove except as hereinafter claimed.

1 claim:

1, An aerating device for attachment to the discharge end of a faucet comprising an inverted upstanding fr nnel having the upper end adapted to be dependingly secured to the discharge end of said faucet, an upstanding tube having its upper end open and its lower end closed positioned within and spaced from the wall of said funnel and vdependingly supported intermediate its. end-S in said funnel, the upper open end of said tube being adjacent the upper end of said funnel and adapted to be embraced by the discharge end of said faucet and the lower closed .end of said tube being spaced from the lower end of said funnel, there being a plurality of spaced ports extending transversely through the wall of said tube adjacentstolandspaced from the closed end thereof for the egress of water therethrough, and an open-ended upstanding shell having the upper end and the portion adjacent to said end circumposed about and spaced from said funnel and having the upper end dependingly supported on said funnel adjacent the upper end of the latter,

- the space between said upper ,end 10f saidshell and said funnel providing an opening for .the ingress of air from the atmosphere, the lower end of said funnel being spaced from and forming with the adjacent portion of the wall of said shell a apfor the passage of theair therethrough.

2.. An aerating device for attachment to the discharge end of a .faucetcomprising.aniinverted upstanding funnel having the upper .end adapted to be vdependingly secured to the dis- .charge end of said faucet, an upstanding tube having its upper .endopen and its, lower end, closed positioned within and spaced from the wall of said funnel and dependingly supported intermediate its ends in said .funnel, the upperppen ,end of said tube being adjacent the -upperend of said funnel and adapted to be embraced .by the discharge end of said faucet and nthe-lower closed .end of said tube beingspaced from the lower ,end of said funnel, there being a plurality of spaced ports extending transversely through the wallof said tube-adjacent toand spaced from the closed end thereof for thelegress .of water -there through, an open-endedupstanding shellhaving the upper end and the portion adjacent to said upper end circumposed about and spaced from said funnel and having the upper enddependingly supported on said funnel adjacent the up- ..per end of the latter, the space "between said upper end of said shell and said funnel providing an opening for the ingress therethrough of air from the atmosphere, the lower end-of said funnel being spaced from and forming with the adjacent portion of the wall of said-shell a gap for the passage of the air .therethrough, and a reticulated .member positionedover the space between the upper end of said shell and said funnel and fixedly supported on the upper 'end -of said shell and said funnel, the portion of said shell adjacent said gap converging inwardly toward and terminating at a point spaced from the lower end thereof to provide a mixing chamber for the water .discharged from the lower endof said funnel and the air discharged from said gap.

JOSEPH E. HANNIGAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references .are of record in th file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

